THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, November 3, 1357. 
(32 
The new fruit of Eugenia Ugni (uni) turns out to 
lose its right colour of deep purplish red to a pale, beny 
under glass, and very likely loses its true flavour in the 
same way; but, on the other hand, one never meets with 
three gardeners together who will agree entirely about the 
flavour of one single fruit in the country.. Seven of the 
best Grape growers in the country have giyen me seven 
distinct names for my black Grapes in Williss Rooms. 
Four of them tasted the berries in the presence of each 
other, and before five other first-rate gardeners and two 
first-class nurserymen, of whom Mr. \eitcli was one; 
therefore, unless public opinion first settles the merits of 
a new fruit, it is in vain to look to a committee of gai- 
deners for a definite verdict. They all said my Grapes 
were most excellent, but some ol them said so piuposely 
to please me as they thought — a kind ot compliment 
with which all gardeners are more or less acquainted. 
In the Experimental the fruit of Eugenia Ugni ripened 
out of doors by the middle ol September. The two 
plants I had from Mr. Low, of Clapton, were rather 
under potted, but were well supplied with soft rain 
water, and no more. The fruit was as dark as that of a 
ripe Cranberry, but we did not decide on the flavour, as 
the fruit was in demand for dissection by two or three 
botanical students belonging to the establishment. 
There were two kinds of Pomegranates among the 
foreign fruit, the common j'ellow, and the uncommon 
deep purple. British gardeners, however, know little of 
this. Mr. Fortune told me he bad seen several other 
kinds of Pomegranates. The finest Medlars in the 
country were there, and also the “Prickly Pear” of the 
south of Europe—a very wholesome fruit, which makes 
a beautiful dish in the dessert. This is the fruit ot the 
common Opuntia vulgaris , and the “ Indian Fig ” of 
ordinary travellers. There were also purple Guavas and 
Shaddocks from Sion House, together with the rarest 
fruit in England, the Chocolate fruit, which is the chief 
ingredient in “ that excellent cup of chocolate.” The 
Chocolate tree, Theobroma cacao, is a most beautiful¬ 
leaved tree, with flowers as insignificant as those of the 
Black Currant, and not unlike it. The flowers come in 
short dense clusters from the old wood, and the fruit is 
about six inches long, pointed at both ends, otherwise 
egg-shaped, and slightly ribbed. The shell is of a light 
colour when ripe, and splits open at the end farthest 
from the stalk. The seed or fruit is inclosed in a white 
pulp, from which strong whiskey is distilled in South 
America; but you should consult Flogg’s “ History of 
the Vegetable Kingdom,” or rather study it like a young 
gardener. Botany, and all about classes, and orders, and 
arrangements of plants, are as nothing compared to a 
knowledge of the uses and history of plants, and I shall 
give an instance from this Show. 
I saw a native fruit plant from Scotland downstairs 
from a first-rate nurseryman, the Breilach of the High¬ 
lands, and the Cowberry of English moors, Vaccinium 
vitis uleea. The crimson berries are as soft as Red Cur¬ 
rants, and as “tart” as a sloe, but most excellent for 
sore throats. I picked some of them, and swallowed 
them with a relish which frightened a gentleman near 
me, who suspected that I poisoned myself intentionally, 
and declared that he would not taste a strange fruit for 
the world; but he was studying for his degrees at Oxford 
or Cambridge while I was running after grouse “ o’er 
the moor among the heather.” Besides, I read the 
“ History of the Vegetable Kingdom,” and could tell 
the healthy and unhealthy fruit in all the orders of 
plants from marks on the leaves or branches, or from 
the flowers; and if he and I were cast on an island he 
might starve if he chose, or poison himself by mis¬ 
taking the right fruit, hut I would live like a prince on 
the wholesome fruit till I got something better; but 
people do not learn common things like that before they 
take their degrees. 
Butin this room “ below stairs ” there was another 
show of more common things. Mr. Rivers had a large 
assortment of fruit to show this and that kind of benefit 
from such and such treatment of the trees; and Mr. 
Ingram, gardener to the Duke of Rutland, at Belvoir 
Castle, who took his degrees at Erogmore, near Windsor, 
had a collection of fruit to show what influence dif¬ 
ferent soil and climate have upon the bearing of the 
great question before us ; and the Messrs. Lee, of Ham¬ 
mersmith, had upwards of 100 specimens of the different 
kinds of fancy Gourds. Some of them were extremely 
curious, some very pretty, some smooth, some rough, 
some warted, some straight, some crooked, some long, 
some short, some quite round, some wholly flat, some 
not bigger than a Pippin Apple, and some as big as 
the “king of a’ the pudding race”—a Scotch haggiss: 
Snakes, Custards, and Turk’s Caps, hut not that ex¬ 
quisite Vegetable Marrow lately mentioned. But room 
fails me, and those I left behind, and others whom I 
shall be obliged to pass over for the present, must take 
the will for the deed till we meet again. 
All I sliall say about plants is, that we had a new 
kind of Cypripcdium , with leaves like those of venustum, 
and flowers like those in the villosa section, without 
being villous, or shaggy with hairs, from Mr. Williams, 
gardener to A. Fairlie, Esq., of Liverpool—a very nice 
thing. Also a fine plant in bloom of that newish bulb or 
bulb-like plant, which makes me blush at British botany 
every time I see it. This beautiful plaut, like my beau¬ 
tiful Grapes, is beyond the strength of the British lion 
to make out its right name; I mean the Imantophyllum 
miniatum of Hooker, and Vallota miniata of Bindley, 
•neither of whom hit the right mark, or say the “ private 
mark” of that beautiful flower. Also a handsome con¬ 
tribution of fine-leaved plants, chiefly, as I understood, 
from the Hammersmith and Exotic Nurseries of the 
Messrs. Lee and Veitch. 
We shall now begin with the prize fruit as I began 
in the room long before the Judges were admitted. The 
Pears , being the most difficult, I took first in order, and 
gave my decided opinion in favour of those from Queen 
Victoria above all that were in the room, no matter 
whence. Out of the twelve dishes Mr. Ingram had six 
or seven dishes ripe for table. Thus— Marie Louise, 
Beurre Bose, and Beurre cle Gapiaumont, a brother and 
sister, as it were, Bose being he, and bigger than Capimo, 
as she is pronounced; Beurre Biel, beating all the con¬ 
tinental Diels; Seclde, a very pretty little red Pear; 
Haeon's Incomparable ; VanMons Leon le Clerc, a magni¬ 
ficent Pear; and Knight's Monarch aforesaid; Brougham 
Pear “ coming in,” and keeps three weeks; Glout Mor- 
ceau coming in also; Vicar of Winhfield ; and Beurre 
Fiance, the latest of the Pears. 
Mr. Tillvard, gardener to Lord Eversley (late Speaker), 
took the second prize in Pears. He had five kinds ripe, 
and one kind nearly so. Thus— Beurre de Gapiaumont, 
Hacon's Incomparable, Beurre Biel, Marie Louise, Cali- 
basse, Louise d'Orleans, Winter Nelis, Ducliesse d'An- 
gouleme, Eorelle, or Trout Pear, Ne Plus Meuris, and 
Beurre Ranee. 
The third prize was given to Mr. Harris, Oatlands 
Palace Gardens, who had three ripe dishes, namely, 
Marie Louise, Beurre Biel, and Bucliesse d'Angouleme, 
his other best being Chaumontelle,Ne Plus Meuris, Win¬ 
ter Nelis, and Mons. le Cure. 
Mr. Tillyard was first for single dish of dessert Pears; 
second, Mr. Eowle, gardener to G. W. Cooke, Esq., Bees- 
thrope Hall, Newark. Several collections of twelves were 
highly commended, and they were nearly as good as the 
above—only a shade of difference, if that, as they stood. 
Mr. Sorley, gardener to E. Zwilchenbart (pronounced 
swilsenbart), of Liverpool, had a collection which sur¬ 
prised many of the London gardeners. They were Marie 
Louise, Bucliessed'Angouleme, Beurre Biel, Easter Beurre, 
